Quad Cities Distance Classic Half Marathon #5

Race morning was crisp and sunny!  There was both a half
marathon and a 5k race and everyone lined up and started
at the same time.  Around 1,000 total racers lined up.

With doubts about making it all the way through this journey, all the way through 13 half marathons, it’s no wonder my nerves were wrecked right before lining up for half marathon #5 just two weeks after #4.  I had a hard time imagining being able to toe the line so quickly between races but I made it to the start line and all the way through the finish.


After having a challenging time at my last half marathon, I tried to adjust my fueling strategy the last few days before the race.  The day before the race I actually ate a little more per meal and focused on carbs and proteins.  The morning of the race, I ate a little later (so that it would actually be a little closer to the start time).  It must have paid off.

Making my way around the track
toward the finish line.  It's now
two races in a row where I
finished on a blue oval track!

The weather at the start line of the Quad Cities Distance Classic Half Marathon was not expected.  There were frost warnings out overnight/early morning of the race.  When I checked the weather around 6 a.m., it said it was already 40 degrees and I thought that was good.  Until Jason told me there was a wind chill and it was more like 32 degrees with slight wind.  At the last minute the day prior, I decided to throw in a long sleeve shirt and gloves.  I am so glad that I did (I would have been quite cold without them).

I had expected, since its mid-May, to have 60 degree weather at the start line, so it was a little shocking to feel that cool of weather again when last week I was running in 70+ weather.  I believe now that the weather at my last half (which was much warmer) played a big role in how I felt (which wasn’t great).  It usually takes a few weeks for the body to adapt to seasonal temperature changes.  When I ran last week in the warm weather I struggled.  However, in the crisp, chilled air the morning of the race, I ran well.


I wore a long sleeve shirt and
gloves during the chilly race.

The race course was relatively flat except for a gigantic monster hill just after the first mile.  This hill was long and steep and made the hills during my last half look like a joke.  I was glad though it was at the beginning of the race because I had the energy to make it up.  Around mile four it went straight back down the hill and was mostly flat the remaining nine miles.  We wound our away around town and down to the shore of the Mississippi River.  We ran around a small park and then a trail that ran parallel to the river.  The wind was blowing so hard that I barely felt like I was moving forward.  Thankfully it was short lived and we were back on the streets.  Besides that brief period by the river, the course was mostly on city streets. It does get a little tough pounding concrete and staring at buildings. I was focused and I had energy; two important elements to having a good race day.

Since I am attempting to run multiple races in short time spans, I make it a point to not stare at my watch.  It’s not likely I can PR this year because I’m putting a lot of stress on my muscles and joints.  Otherwise, I’d check my time at every mile and try to adjust so I could hit a specific time.  I’m trying to enjoy these races as much as I can but it doesn’t mean my final time isn’t important.  I felt strong most of the race and I knew if I stayed consistent, I’d finish in a decent time.  I crossed the finish line just after 1:46.  That’s several minutes faster than my other races and that is really exciting!  That is still six minutes slower than my PR but for someone who spent 2012 with a hamstring injury that still nags at me today and someone who’s already run four other half marathons this year, I am very excited to see the improvement!

After leaving everything
I had on the race course,
I needed two cups of
water (and a deep breath
and a nap) to recover.

I’m not holding out that the next several races will experience unseasonably cool weather so I know my time is likely to slow down a bit.  And that’s okay with me.  If I’m strategic in my training, I could see good time improvements in the fall, which is typically an ideal race time of the year.  I have a lot of work ahead of me, not just on time, but on keeping myself healthy, trained and prepared to line up and finish more halfs going forward.  It was a real mental boost today to have a good race.  I honestly didn’t think about much else during the race today besides focusing on a good effort.  It doesn’t mean the rest will be smooth sailing but maybe it will help quiet some of the doubts I build up before a race :)

Miss FitGab